


It's Aesthetics, Babe

by kt_rose28



Category: Schitt's Creek
Genre: Boys In Love, Breakfast in Bed, Committed Relationship, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Pajamas & Sleepwear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-17
Updated: 2019-06-17
Packaged: 2020-05-13 09:40:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19248601
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kt_rose28/pseuds/kt_rose28
Summary: On their first night in Patrick's apartment, breakfast in bed and drunk shopping ensues. Basically, the origin story of the iconic matching pajamas in the housewarming (5x05) !





	It's Aesthetics, Babe

**Author's Note:**

  * For [schittsgeek](https://archiveofourown.org/users/schittsgeek/gifts).



“I’m not going to lie,'' David admits, looking up briefly from his laptop, “I think breakfast in bed is your best idea so far”. 

Patrick chuckles, re-emerging from the kitchen. His arms were full, balancing a large plate of chocolate chip pancakes in one hand and a gallon of orange juice in the other. He places a kiss on David’s temple, before lying down next to him on their makeshift mattress of couch cushions. 

Both boys smiled at each other, basking in the excitement of long awaited privacy. They had been waiting for this moment for so long. No more late night run-ins with David’s parents at the motel. No more early morning interruptions by Patrick’s nosy roommate. And most importantly, no more awkward sleepovers at Stevie’s apartment, where they rushed to wash her sheets before she came home each time. They finally had a place to themselves, somewhere they could call “home”. The feeling was beyond spectacular. 

“Well, first of all, it’s very generous of you to call this a bed”, Patrick notes, pulling a blanket over their laps. It was their first official night in his new apartment, and much of the furniture they ordered had yet to arrive. Their current sleeping situation was less than ideal, but they couldn’t deny that it was cozy. The limited space left little room for their limbs, leading David to hook his foot around Patrick’s calf. Patrick followed suit by resting his head in the crook of David’s neck. 

“And, second of all,'' he continues, “it was actually Ray’s idea. He practically forced me to take the pancake mix from him, when I picked up my final boxes from his house today. You are the only one that eats them, and he told me they expire tomorrow, so-”

“Okay, as appetizing as that description sounds, I’m going to have to stop you right there,'' David interrupts, shoving a forkful of food into his boyfriend’s mouth. Patrick almost chokes, his laughter getting in the way of swallowing. He washes the pancakes down with a sip of OJ and glares at David, who was now innocently fumbling with the hem of the blanket. 

“What are you working on over here?” Patrick eventually asks, shifting on the cushions to get a better view of the laptop. When David turns to face him, he fails to mask the smug smile creeping onto his face. Patrick’s mouth is smeared with chocolate, and he is utterly oblivious. As tempting as it is to let this go unsaid, David grabs a tissue from the box next to him and gingerly wipes his face clean. 

“I’m online shopping for some final touches for the apartment”, he explains, scrubbing the last remnants of chocolate off his upper lip. Patrick squirms under his touch and chuckles, which just makes David rub harder. 

When David returns from throwing the tissue away, Patrick is staring at him with a bemused expression on his face. “I have imagined getting my lips abused by you in this new apartment hundreds of times”, Patrick laughs, “But I never thought the first time was going to happen that way”. 

David rolls his eyes dramatically, but leans in to give his cheek a kiss anyway. He figures Patrick’s mouth could use a break. 

“What do you think of these potholders?” he asks, once settled back on the bed. “The design on them would go perfectly with the backsplash in your kitchen”. Patrick looks at the Amazon page pulled up on his laptop and laughs. “David, I have never seen you use a pot in your life”. 

The blunt accusation makes his mouth gape open. “That is no fair! I haven’t lived in a place with a functioning stove in over four years! I can make my way around the kitchen, you know”.

“Oh, then maybe you can treat me to home cooked meals whenever you stay over. I’m sure your abilities are well beyond the ones found at the Cafe Tropical”. The smugness in Patrick’s voice forces David to sheepishly turn away. “And besides”, Patrick reasons, “We sell potholders at the store for half that price”. 

David tilts his head back in frustration, yelping when he forgets about the lack of pillows and smacks against the hardwood floor. “This is your apartment, Patrick. How come I seem to care more about setting up the place than you are? It is kind of concerning me how unprepared you are. '' So far, it has been David giving the majority of input about furniture. Patrick would briefly interrupt with reminders of their agreed upon budget, but he basically gave David free reign. While is was fun to buy home decor for the first time in years, it is Patrick’s apartment at the end of the day. He doesn’t want his boyfriend to secretly resent him for overstepping his boundaries. 

His thoughts are interrupted by a snort from his boyfriend. “Babe, I care plenty about the apartment. But unfortunately, the things you are looking at buying are…” he pauses, trying to find the right words, “more ‘wants’ rather than ‘needs’ at this point”. 

David realizes that the gentle hand now on his knee is the only thing delaying him from his nervous spiral.

“How about we look at some more practical items, okay?” He turns to face him, greeted by Patrick’s kind, patient eyes. No one looks at him the way Patrick does, and it fills him with a warmth he can’t describe. They’ve been dating for over a year, but these feelings are still brand new to him. Reluctantly, he gives control of the laptop over to Patrick. 

“Just so we are clear,” David says meekly, watching Patrick scroll through the site, “I am already regretting this”.

Without looking up from the computer, he gives David’s thigh a quick pat. “Good to know”.

Leaving his boyfriend to browse, David picks up his phone to catch up on social media. He figures having a distraction will stop him from unintentionally influencing Patrick’s decisions. After a few minutes of searching, Patrick taps David on his shoulder. “What do you think of this lamp? It’s a decent price, and would fit well with the bedside table we ordered last week”. 

“I mean this in the least dramatic way possible,” David begins, softly scratching Patrick’s forearm, “But that is the ugliest fucking lamp I have ever seen”. 

David curses himself for not having a strong enough filter, but he feels slightly relieved when Patrick playfully elbows him in the gut. “It might not go with your aesthetic, but this option allows the usage of compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFLs are much more environmentally friendly than incandescent-”

“As fun as this conversation is,'' David cuts in, “How about you make these tech decisions by yourself? You have clearly already done the research. I can help you pick out the more...creative pieces for your apartment”. 

Patrick grabs their empty cups of OJ and stands up abruptly “You are impossible”, he sighs, leaning down to plant a kiss on David’s temple. As he walks toward the kitchen, the words begin to sink in and make his stomach plummet. It wasn’t uncommon for Patrick to tease him, but David noticed an unusual amount exasperation in his voice. Patrick is finally realizing the inevitable, which is David will be a nightmare to live with. It was only their first night together and he could already feel his stubbornness and needy impulses shining through. Unfortunately, this road is all too familiar. 

His boyfriend was too nice to outright kick him out. Maybe he would chose to gradually invite him over less and less? Or in a few weeks, sit David down for a “necessary talk about their future”? He doubts Patrick would secretly change the Apothecary locks behind his back, but after the past he’s had, he couldn’t completely dismiss the idea. David figures he should prepare for a slow burn of rejection. It would lead to less heartbreak when this all inevitably falls apart. 

Making sure he was preoccupied filling their glasses, David shifts the computer into his lap. The best idea would be to look at Patrick’s wish list and attempt to be supportive. Even though synthetic curtains are absolutely incorrect, it couldn’t be too hard for him to wince out a few words of encouragement, right? 

“David, what can I do?” a voice asks, lifting him from his worries. He looks up from his laptop to find Patrick, eyes full of the tenderness that made his head hurt. “How can I make this better?”

“How can you make what better?” he responds, glaring at him from across the room. David scrunches his face, not intending for his voice to sound snippy. Patrick doesn’t deserve that. It would be so easy for him to play the oblivious card, pretend like nothing is wrong. The sternness in Patrick’s face though reminds him why that’s a bad idea. 

“David, I can tell that something is bothering you. If you think that we are going too fast, let me know. We can take a step back”. 

Oh, god. That is the last thing that he wants. David’s held all of his dark shit in before. If he was being honest, they both have. Each time, it made him spiral out of control and lead to more heartbreak down the line. He might as well leave everything on the table now. If less of his clothes were moved into the apartment, the grieving process would be much easier. 

“Okay, fine”, he relents, squeezing his eyes shut. If he was going to do this, he couldn’t see Patrick’s face. It was too easy to fall into that sincere, concerned look of his. Those little crinkles he gets around his eyes when he’s worried. Fuck, this is not going to be easy. 

“This whole...domestic thing is all kind of new for me. And, as you know, I can be a bit of a pain sometimes”. He tries to laugh, but it comes out more as stale breaths. 

“As Alexis unfortunately pointed out to me last week, you are the first person to express any interest in living with me. Okay, I know we aren’t technically living together rather frequently cohabiting the same residence, but you get the point”. 

David cannot decide if he dreads an interruption from his shame spiral, or desperately needs to be saved from himself. Patrick simply tightens his grip on his knee, his fingers gently tracing circles. It gives him enough motivation to keep going. “This isn’t too fast. Honey, I really want this”. Out of the corner of his eye, David sees a slight smile on Patrick’s lips. “I’m just afraid that qualities of mine you find endearing will become utterly intolerable in large quantities”. 

They sit in silence for a few minutes, which David thinks is somewhat frightening. He supposes it’s better than screaming or crying or being left alone. Except, there is no indication of what is coming next. Patrick’s face has gone unreadable. 

“David, it’s insane to me that you think that you will eventually drive me crazy. You’re the one that keeps me sane! You can sense when I feel stressed and need someone to talk to about my day. Whenever you stayed over at Ray’s, you would wake up extra early and make me tea. You even asked Ray what kind of tea I liked in the mornings and how it should be prepared!” 

David feels his cheeks flush. “I never told you that”, he mumbles sheepishly. 

“And that’s the other thing!” Patrick exclaims, “You are always so humble. You do special things for the people you care about, without expecting anything in return. It’s incredibly thoughtful. Why wouldn’t I want to live with someone who is incredibly thoughtful? Oh, sorry, I meant why wouldn’t I want to frequently cohabit the same residence as someone who is incredibly thoughtful?” 

David exhales a shaky laugh. “But, I am defenseless and obsessive and stubborn-” 

“No, you are smart and passionate and strong-willed. And so many other wonderful things-”

“Yeah, like impossible”.

A look of guilt flashes across Patrick’s face, as he lets out a faint sigh. “David, I am so sorry I said that. I’ll be the first to admit that I need control and get caught up in the little details. We both stand strong with our beliefs. It’s natural for us to butt heads from time to time. It would be weird if we didn't”.

Patrick pauses for a beat, as if waiting for a response. David cannot help but nod in agreement. 

“At the end of the day,” he continues,“I care more about the person I’m sleeping next to rather than the pillows under our heads...which are going to be down?” 

“Memory foam”, David clarifies, “but nice try”.

Patrick rolls his eyes and picks up the glass he’d brought over. “Bottoms up”, he replies, enthusiastically slamming the drink against David’s lips. After he swallows, his lips scrunch into a tight pucker. 

“You spiked this, didn’t you Brewer?” 

Patrick laughs, clinking their cups together.”Cheers to privacy!”

...

Three mimosas in, their Amazon search was becoming much more promising. David does eventually have to confiscate Patrick’s glass, when it comes dangerously close to short circuiting the laptop. He’s going to have to ask Patrick about the recipe he used because the OJ and Vodka ratio seems highly questionable. 

“Listen, I know it was your plan to get me kinda tipsy so I chill out about this whole cohabitation thing'', David says, wincing at the smell of his own breath. “But, I am still aware enough to notice when you take succulents out of the shopping cart. Your aesthetic is going to take such a dive, Patrick. It truly is your loss”. 

Patrick shakes his head lazily, until a hiccup makes him jump. “Wow”, he slurs,“I forgot how drinking really brings out your sloppy mouth”. 

David starts to stick out his tongue, but lets out a surprised laugh when Patrick latches onto his neck. “You smell warm”, he notes, his voice muffled by hair. It is no secret that Patrick is affectionate, David thinks, but people who have only seen him sober don’t even know the half of it. Nevertheless, he makes sure to add two more cacti to the cart and browse the clothing section of Amazon, while his boyfriend is preoccupied. 

“Okay!” Patrick announces into David’s ear, clumsily shifting the computer back onto his lap. “We should get back to business!”

David rests his head on Patrick’s shoulder and hums in agreement. He like this. He likes spending nights getting buzzed on cheap booze. He likes internet shopping on makeshift pillow beds. He likes the smell of Patrick’s detergent, which he will happily become better acquainted with in the coming months. Yes, he could definitely get used to this. He closes his eyes and lets the sound of the mouse clicking and Patrick’s breathing lull him to sleep. 

“David, oh man. You need to wake up, David. Daaaayveeed. C’mon, hey. Hey. This is important, David. There is a situation that needs your attention. David. David”. 

David does not stir in the slightest. 

“David, there are clothes involved”. 

“I’m up!” David replies groggily, jerking his head off of Patrick’s shoulder, “What’s going on?”

Patrick chuckles and tilts the computer towards him. “Well, when you passed the computer back to me, you left it on the clothing page. This just really caught my eye and-”

David slams the screen shut. “Absolutely not”. 

“But they are maaaatching”, Patrick whines. He dramatically collapses into his boyfriend’s lap, which makes David laugh. “Besides, pajamas are fun! Pajamas are bed things. Things. You wear. In bed. '' Patrick emphasizes each word with a jab of his finger into David’s thigh. “And sexy things happen in beds!”, he says with a giggle, “Beds are fun!” 

“Okay, I see you picked up that finger thing from Alexis”, he says, leaning Patrick up against the wall, “Even though it brings me great amusement to watch you be cute about clothes, there is no way I am ever getting near...that situation”. He flails his hand around the general vicinity of the laptop and groans. “Matching clothing screams ‘pair of twins dressed for church by their mother’ vibes. And if you ever see me wearing polyester, please do me a favor and fling me into the sun?” 

“But you didn’t let me finish!” Patrick persists, prompting another groan from David. “There’s a set in black and white and there is one in blue! It would be good for our, um, athletics!”

David cannot stop himself from correcting. “It's aesthetics, babe”. 

“Yeah, that thing!”

“Okay, I think it’s time to put the laptop down and start fresh in the morning. Or, most likely the afternoon. Your hangover is not going to be pretty tomorrow.” David says, carefully shifting the laptop off of an already sleeping Patrick. Once David pulls the covers over them, he is quick to follow. The sheets might not be made of Egyptian Cotton, but it still feels like home. 

…

“So”, David begins, shutting the apartment door behind him, “ I got your text when I woke up and had to come straight over from the motel. While your ‘high school slumber party’ idea is...cute, are we completely married to this plan of yours? It’s a little tired and understated. How do you feel about glass blown Venetian masks?” 

Patrick shakes his head and plants a kiss on David’s temple. “And good morning to you, too. Are you hungry?” 

“Is that even a question?” David scoffs, falling onto the couch with a huff. “I worked up an enormous appetite carrying this package up three flights of stairs!” 

Patrick sits down next to David, his curiosity peaked. “I did notice that. Any ideas on what it could be?” 

“Your guess is as good as mine. The front desk lady saw me come in and told me that this was for you”. 

“Huh”, Patrick replies, heading over to the kitchen to grab a knife. “Everything I remember ordering for the apartment already got delivered. Are you sure you didn’t buy anything extra? I noticed you suspiciously eyeing that pasta maker online the other day and-”

“Wow, if I would have known I was going to be verbally attacked this morning, I would have stayed at the motel!” David scowls and crosses his arms tight around his chest. “Can this torturous game of Twenty Questions wait until after I eat?” 

“David, you have been a tremendous help during this whole move in process” he says, slowly breaking the seal between the cardboard flaps. ”But, I thought we promised not to buy anything-”

Patrick trails off, as he stares inside of the box. The widening of his eyes and clenched lips are the tell tale signs of his boyfriend’s guilt. He could see it from a mile away. 

“Hey, you’re scaring me,” David says softly. He tries to peak at what’s inside, but Patrick quickly hides the box behind his back. “Can you tell me what’s going on?”

The initial fear in Patrick's eyes doesn't seem to be leaving, which makes David's stomach churn.

“This is actually kind of a funny story,” Patrick says, looking anywhere but at David, “if you don’t take it too seriously and have an open mind”.

“Well, that was a terrible, unpromising introduction. So, this story better be a knee slapper”. 

Patrick scrubs his hand against his forehead, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. “Okay, okay. Do you remember the first night we spent in this apartment? We were browsing for furniture on Amazon and-“

“-You got utterly wasted on those mimosas and started flailing around like one of those inflatable tube men at a car wash” he finished, a smug grin growing on his face. “It was cute in a ‘lost puppy in a rainstorm’ kind of way. You want to keep watching it do adorable things, but know there is no hope in saving it”. 

Patrick tilts his head in confusion, “I guess you could describe it that way, yes”. He stops for a second to let out a long breath. “Well, later on that night, I woke you up to show you something. Do you remember what that thing was?”

David looks puzzled for a minute, desperately trying to navigate the alcohol-induced fog. When he unfortunately does uncover the memory, he squints his eyes shut and repeatedly shakes his head. “Oh god, please tell me that is not what I think it is.''

Patrick’s eyes are apologetic, as he pulls the pajamas out of the package. “I’m sorry, David. Everything from that night was a total blur. I must have added them to the cart by mistake and was too far gone to notice”.

“Yeah, I can see that.” David mutters nervously, jumping off the couch. 

“I promise I had no alternative motive here! This was a complete accident!” Patrick groans, bringing both hands up to cover his face. “Ugh, I gave you so much shit for wanting to buy extra furniture for the apartment and then I do this! God, I am the worst.”

David stops pacing. Selfishly, he wanted to have a dramatic reaction. Patrick always doted on him a little bit extra, when he felt guilty about something. However, he felt instant regret once he saw the sadness in his boyfriend’s expression. “Honey, you are not the worst. Quite the opposite.”

“But I could tell it really upset you, when I assumed you went behind my back. And, I know how much you hate polyester. It’s your least favorite fabric!”

“Thank you for remembering, but-”

“I put all the blame on you before I even opened the box!" Patrick refutes, nervously playing with the pajamas. He kept crumpling the material in his hands and attempting to smooth it over again. "You specifically told me you didn’t want them, and I completely disrespected that!” 

“What if I do want to wear them?!” David instantly clenches his teeth into a grimace, but it’s too late. 

The truth is out. 

A singular eyebrow of Patrick’s quirks up with interest. “I’m sorry”, he whispers, “you want to wear the pajamas?”

David’s head falls back with an irritated sigh. He had never planned on admitting this, holding onto his pride like a vice. There’s something about the earnest look on Patrick’s face that makes him feel so much; it’s impossible to hold it all in. “It’s just, I’m discovering a lot of things right now,'' he says, hands gesturing wildly, “and these emotions are foreign and hard to process at the moment”. 

Hesitantly, he shifts his eyes down towards Patrick. The sight of his boyfriend’s sweet smile fills him with immense relief. “I’m sorry, but I’m going to need you to elaborate a little bit more”.

“Yeah, I know,” David regretfully agrees, “Worth a shot, though”. 

Patrick scoots down on the couch, making room for him to sit down. Even after David is settled, he doesn’t feel pressured to speak. They sit in comfortable silence, as Patrick’s arm pulls him close to his chest. David burrows his head into the safety of his boyfriend’s shirt. It’s an old, ratty band tee that he has undoubtedly teased Patrick about before. But right now, the fabric is soft on his face and Patrick’s strong fingers stroking his back serve as a distraction from everything else. Once he feels calm enough, David breaks the silence. 

“I’ve never had someone like you before.''

That isn’t all he wants to say. The words are itching to come out, but he feels his nerves resurfacing and making his thoughts jumble again. He squints his eyes tight, trying to make sense of it all. It’s the weight of Patrick’s chin resting softly on his shoulder that brings him peace of mind. 

“It’s just that, I’ve never had someone who was, like, proud of me. When I’ve been in relationships in the past, it was like a dirty secret. I was simply a last resort for people to gain a few more seconds of stardom. A contact they could add to their phones. Or a hookup they could laugh about with their friends.”

He curses how his heart begins to beat faster. Sharing this information shouldn’t be hard. Patrick’s heard it all before, whether it was a painful memory whispered in the safety of their bedroom or a brief detail mentioned in passing. Once he found happiness with Patrick and the store, he tried to put it all behind him. The loneliness still eats him up sometimes, swallowing him whole. Patrick knows him scarily well, tightening their warm embrace as a reminder of all he has now. 

“I guess, I liked seeing the pajamas today. How similar they looked. Since they matched, it would be like I belonged to someone”. His face is still pressed up against the crook of Patrick’s neck, but he can tell from the hitch of his breath that his boyfriend wants to interject. David knows that if he lets him speak, it would become even more difficult for him to keep going. 

“Yes, I already know I belong to someone. You are so sweet to me and have no problem letting others know about us. It’s still sometimes hard for me to believe that someone wants others to know we are a couple. And is proud of what we’ve built together. Now that I have that, I want others to know I am proud of it too”. 

Patrick brushes his lips softly on David’s head. “I am so proud of you,'' he whispers, “Everyday, I am”. David desperately tries to burrow deeper to hide his blush, but unfortunately knows the heat of his cheeks can be felt through Patrick’s t-shirt. 

“And, if you are open to it,” he mutters into David’s hair, “the pajamas go perfectly with the ‘athletics’ of a high school slumber party”. 

David playfully pushes on Patrick’s chest. “Even sober, you are an absolute idiot!” He tries to sound annoyed, but the grin on his face completely debunks the charade. 

“Yes, an idiot that is so in love with you”. 

David feels his throat tightening. 

He loves me.

He loves me.

He loves me. 

Well, of course he does. Patrick’s told him so many times. Yet each time he hears those words, he lights up inside. His ears go pink. His stomach is fluttery. His eyes are wet. 

And he loves him, too.

**Author's Note:**

> After watching this episode, I knew there had to be a backstory for those pjs! So if Dan isn't going to deliver, I thought I would give my own interpretation. I hope you are hanging in there during this grueling hiatus! Thanks everyone :)


End file.
